2013 Spring Turkey Hunting Daily Reports

04/22/13- I got to hunt opening morning only until 7:30 because of a meeting for work but I did hear one gobbler off the roost but he shut up for the rest of the time. From what I heard from others for some reason the turkeys weren't gobbling good this morning around here. Beautiful morning though, heading back out tomorrow.

"...the deepest, most permanent features of all great moments outside are the names, faces, descriptions, and emotions. The antlers on the wall...well, they're just bones affixed to boards. But what they represent, however, is flesh and blood - fathers and sons, friends spending time with friends and the the seasons of life when the people we love were still with us. These old antlers on the wall...well, take a seat, my friend, and I'll tell you all about them." -Rev. Zeke Pipher

Opening morn i had 7 jakes gobble the 100yrds it took em to get to my blind just as i was telling the girlfriend to dust one some idiot in blaze orange vest strolls thru the woods and bust the flock we had em at 6.20am he said he was picking mushrooms . The gf was ticked it would have been her 1st animal she harvested sence gettin her hunting lic last year . She had a blast we moved spots and i had a gobbler coming on a string and then he fliped directions and went bk way he came. Was gonna hunt today but hu ted worked 2nd shift lastnite till 11pm and hunted opening morn till noon . I admit i never heard the alarm go off at 3am we over slept and we decided to sit this morn out were gonna try to get bk out fri morn. The girlfriend had my moss.535 and i was toten the bow in hopes of a bow kill but i was gonna let her shoot 1st i know she wants a turk bad so iam willing to get hers then go after mine with the bowjust

My dad and I hunted Monday and Tuesday. I saw three hens on Monday and my dad saw one. My dad can only sit for short periods of time so we always miss the late morning hunts. Tuesday we tried somthing different. We arrived at the woods at about 9:00 and hunted til noon. Never saw any birds. I have not heard a gobble in two days. Toss up tomorrow, may go hunt some woodchucks and hunt turkey on Friday.

I may be opinionated...but, my opinion is the only one that matters anyway.

04/25/13- Got my first turkey of the season today at 11:31 AM, shot him at 27 yards. 17 lb, 1.125" spurs, 9.5" beard. He and two others were together and outsmarted me at first but I got the last laugh! The story and photos are below.

Hunted a field edge thing this morning. Heard two different flocks of 4-5 gobblers each (some jakes mixed in). They all flew down to hens and stayed in the woods across a small river where I can't access so I stayed for awhile and called with no luck. Packed up and headed to some other places to listen for a gobble. Stopped at two different spots and didn't hear anything. Went home and was about ready to call it a day and get back to work when I decided to walk back on my property and see if I could get one to gobble. Turkeys don't really 'live' on my 35 acres but I do catch them back there from time to time. I actually heard a gobbler back there a few times before the season opened. Basically they don't roost back there but later in the morning they often come there to strut and feed.

So I walked back there, sat beside a big maple and called......nothing. I decided to sit in the shade and take a nap and listen for awhile......then seconds later "Gobble, Gobble, Gobble". The tom was about 250 yards or more away on an adjacent property but I think he was responding to me. I called again. "Gobble, Gobble, Gobble". Hmmm. I thought I might be in business. So I got up and moved closer toward him and sat down and called very sparingly. He gobbled again and was heading my way. "Nice". Now however since he was closer to me I heard that there were two gobblers together. They gobbled and strutted back and forth on a ridge in some thick pines for about 30 minutes. They were within 50 yards now but I figured they wouldn't come through the woods I was in because it was too thick. Next thing I know they gobbled and were behind me...."No".

They then strutted behind me at about 40 yards and into my field. Then in front of me in the pines came a jake running to try and get in on the action. First time I've ever saw that before. I let the three of them get out into the field far enough where I could sneak closer to the field edge. They seemed as though they were leaving but I called and they responded. I decided to setup where they entered my property from the pines because that would most likely be where they would exit. I chose wisely. A few more yelps and some soft purrs and here they came. I saw a red/white head, then another, checked the first one for a long beard (didn't want to shoot a jake), then when the first gobbler put his head down to walk behind a stump I aimed at where he was going to be and then a head popped up again...."BOOM". He was down for the count. It was a really fun hunt and good example of going to where you have heard gobblers later in the morning after their hens leave.

"...the deepest, most permanent features of all great moments outside are the names, faces, descriptions, and emotions. The antlers on the wall...well, they're just bones affixed to boards. But what they represent, however, is flesh and blood - fathers and sons, friends spending time with friends and the the seasons of life when the people we love were still with us. These old antlers on the wall...well, take a seat, my friend, and I'll tell you all about them." -Rev. Zeke Pipher